06/11/2025

News and insight from the business world. Download the podcast via the BBC Sounds app.

More on a new report looking at getting people on long-term sick back into the office. We also have the latest from New York as the City decides its new Mayor. And Sean Farrington finds out why the unlikely crossover between chess and nightlife is proving a hit for one London venue.

With more than 40% of shop staff facing abuse at the counter every week, Sean Farrington talks to workers, an investigator and a retail charity about what's behind the assaults and what can be done to stop them, Also,our expert guests talk about budgets and budget pledges ahead of the big day later this month. And...it's the invasion of the food influencers, coming to a food market near you. Do they serve an important role for the restaurant trade - or are they just putting everyone else off their dinner? We hear from both sides of the table.

Questions remain over the supply of Nexperia chips, with concerns for the car industry. Will Bain delves into what exactly's going on. We also look into the sauna sensation that's sweeping across the UK - with numbers of them soaring in recent years. And if you watched Channel 4's Gogglebox on Friday night you might have heard this programme get a little mention...

Felicity Hannah looks at the government's energy-bill discount for energy intensive industries, helping around 500 businesses and saving up to £420 million per year on their bills.We have the latest market news, including Amazon and Apple earnings. And it’s spooky season, with people spending more than before. We look at how much and why.

Sean Farrington gets the latest on crucial trade talks in South Korea. And, in a week of massive financial reports from some of the globe's biggest tech companies, we talk to an pioneer on the importance of AI in the future success of the sector, Also, an economist reads the runes on the latest US interest rate changes and the likelihood of taxes rises in the UK budget.

Sean Farrington gets the latest on Hurricane Melissa and hears how AI is already coming for tech jobs at companies worth trillions of dollars - so how will that affect firms further down the chain? And we take a look at the latest from Chancellor Rachel Reeves who says she wants to the defy the gloom from economic forecasters ahead of the budget.

A downgrade in the UK's economic forecast could mean a larger than expected gap in the numbers Chancellor Rachel Reeves has to play with in her budget. Sean Farrington asks an economist what options she has to balance the public purse next month. And, we'll be hearing from an industry analyst why a UK oil and gas company has filed for administration and what it means for the industry in the North Sea. Also, how a hot summer might mean a miserable autumn for lovers of all things pumpkin.

Will Bain with the details of a 'framework' for a likely compromise on trade talks between the US and China this week. Proposals include a deferral of China's strict export controls of rare earths, minerals critical to US tech and industrial production. In return, the US proposes an end to promised retaliatory tariffs. We hear from an international trade expert on the robustness of the framework. And, a consultation has ended on Government plans to fine firms that repeatedly pay their suppliers late. Big companies have warned of investment risks if the plans go ahead. We speak to a small business leader involved in the discussions. And in football, embattled Sheffield Wednesday have finally entered administration. With a 12-point deduction from the EFL to contend with, what chances are there a likely buyer can be found?.

The number of cars produced in the UK fell by a massive 27% last month, according to the industry body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. It says it's due to the cyber attack on Jaguar Land Rover that stopped production. Felicity Hannah asks how the sector might be able to recover.Our Friday panel looks back at the big economic stories of the week, including an inert inflation figure that has more than meets the eye behind it, and Rachel Reeves blaming Brexit for some of the UK's difficult economic circumstances.Plus, the most popular Netflix film of all time, Kpop Demon Hunters, is to make what the streaming service calls an "unprecedented" licensing deal for toys and games. One industry insider tells us just how big a deal it is.